Students are allowed to register for a maximum of 20 credits. All students have a minimum requirement of 12 degree credits to be eligible for the Olin tuition scholarship.

The maximum credits can be distributed between degree and non-degree activities.

Degree activities are defined as counting toward graduation credit and course requirements (all students must have a minimum of 12 degree credits). Examples of registered degree activities are standard courses, cross-registered courses, independent study and research for degree credit. Consult the catalog for your specific degree requirements.

Non-degree activities are defined as not counting toward degree and subject requirements. An example is a passionate pursuit. Non-degree activities are not graded and appear on your transcript if you have met all of your objectives for the activity. Remember these do not count in your minimum requirement of 12 degree credits but do count toward the 20 credit maximum.

Course overloads: The normal maximum credits per semester is 20. Requests to exceed 20 credits may be sent to registrar@olin.edu. They should include both a detailed explanation of the reason for the overload and approval from the academic adviser. Requests should be sent as early as possible in the semester, but not later than the add deadline.

How do I choose my activities for degree and non-degree credit?

Use the registration information as a tool to assist you in preparation for advising discussions. Meet with your adviser BEFORE your registration date. Your adviser will “clear” you to register. If you are not cleared, you will not be permitted to register.

I am doing a Study Away Program next semester. Do I need to register?

YES! Students in approved semester–away programs must register for a single course: AWAY1000: Study Away Program. This course will allow Olin to certify you as a full-time student during the semester you are away. Your approved course work will be transferred to your academic record upon receipt of a transcript from the host institution (provided you have received the minimum required grade). Note: All registrations will be cross-referenced with the Study Away Committee.

How do I register for an Engineering Capstone, either SCOPE or ADE?

Students can elect to take SCOPE or ADE to satisfy the Engineering Capstone requirement. Students must make a decision by registering for one or the other by June 20th. Students may switch no later than that date, as long as there is space.

Students will not be able to schedule a course that has a time conflict with SCOPE or ADE. Any (rare) exception to this rule must be approved in advance by the corresponding program director. See the FAQ question below for further guidance on conflicts with SCOPE.

Students normally do not take both SCOPE and ADE Capstone. The registration process will not permit signing up for both. Petitioning the ARB after securing the approval of the ADE and SCOPE directors is necessary, and permission will not be granted unless there are openings. Students may take ADE Design Depth and SCOPE at the same time.

Registering for SCOPE. SCOPE is taken as a fall-spring two-semester sequence. Students register for ENGR4190-01 at the time of fall registration in April. SCOPE teams are formed subsequently and the Registrar’s Office will re-register students into their team sections after the SCOPE office publishes the list of teams. Students register for the second semester of SCOPE using the section number assigned by the Registrar for the first semester.

Registering for ADE. ENGR4290 ADE Capstone may be taken as a fall-spring or a spring-fall two-semester sequence, normally with no intervening semester. Students must be 2nd semester juniors to begin their capstone experience. Students enrolled in ADE Capstone for the first time will be automatically enrolled for the second time in the subsequent semester. They will be notified by the Registrar’s Office prior to registering for their other classes. Registration for ADE Capstone is first-come, first-served. Space is limited; once the spots are filled, any additional students will placed on a waitlist.

Students who registered for ADE Design Depth (ENGR3290) in or after their 6th semester and then wish to convert to ADE Capstone (ENGR4290), must petition the ADE Director. The Registrar’s Office will process the change. Students enrolled in ADE Design Depth prior to their 6th semester may not convert it to ADE Capstone. Students may take ADE for a total of three semesters: one semester as Design Depth (ENGR 3290) and two semesters as Capstone (ENGR 4290).

I need to enroll in SCOPE but I also need another course that is offered on Wednesdays. What do I do?

SCOPE Wednesday is an All Day Commitment : SCOPE time was implemented several years into SCOPE to assure that teams had enough continuous time to work together on their projects. It is our experience that having this long time block has overall been successful at increasing the productive work done by SCOPE teams and has also created more of a community of SCOPE feeling between teams. It should be noted that if one team member is absent during this time, it affects the whole team and accommodations must be made to make up for that missed team and work time.

If a student has an unforeseen conflict with another course, they may petition the SCOPE Director for an exception. Students must consider the following factors when considering an exception (for specific instructions, consult the documentation with the SCOPE office):

• You must be present during design reviews, scheduled from 3-6 on Wednesdays;

• Missing class time in the Fall semester may impact your placement on the team of your choice (you must notify us of your request before the team selection process begins);

• In choosing to submit a request for an exception, your reason should be particularly compelling and the time missed should be relatively short;

• Requests for exceptions in the spring semester must be made by the end of the fall semester;

• If you are granted an exception, you will need to work with your team and faculty advisor to develop a plan for making up time with your team. This must be submitted within the first week of the semester and must be accompanied by formal approval by your team and faculty advisor.

This policy is not meant to foreclose important opportunities in your educational experience. In particular, it is not meant to penalize people who are being proactive about their own educational paths or to privilege those who have not been as proactive. It is meant to ask you to think about how your actions will impact others and whether there are alternatives.

How do the “SEM” courses fit into my program?

During some semesters, Olin offers a small number of 1-credit SEMinar courses intended to give focused opportunities for students to learn and hone skills or increase understanding or appreciation of a new field. These seminar courses are meant to enhance the current curriculum, and are not intended to replace any current course. The 1-credit seminar courses are offered during the evening and are often taught by alumni instructors. To allow the greatest flexibility in coordinating these opportunities and making them available to all students, they are offered on a P/NC grading scale, cannot be used for a student’s major or distribution requirements, and do not count towards disciplinary credit.

Independent Study and Research - - - How do I register?

Independent study and research guidelines are here. Students interested in doing research and/or independent study must complete a Cover Sheet. All forms must be received by the add deadline for the current semester. There are no exceptions.

I am interested in doing a Passionate Pursuit next semester. How do I register?

If you are interested in doing a Passionate Pursuit, consult the Passionate Pursuit Guidelines. Passionate Pursuits require approval from the Passionate Pursuit Board in addition to consent of a faculty sponsor and the student’s adviser. Passionate Pursuit proposals should be brought to Campus Center 320. The deadline is the add deadline for the current semester.

What is EG grading?

The ‘EG’ grade represents an “Experimental Grade” designation, implemented in a small number of courses during a curricular experiment that began in 2009. Each student may undertake no more than one “EG” course per semester. An ‘EG’ grade in a student’s transcript indicates that a student completed the course’s learning objectives and received instructor feedback based upon criteria that do not have direct mapping onto the ABCDF grading system. Students who do not complete the learning objectives will receive a “no credit” designation on their transcript (similar to the “no credit” option for pass/no credit courses).

Registration and descriptions for Co-Curriculars are released during the add period. If students have a particular interest in a co-curricular that they would like to see offered, they are encouraged to seek out a “faculty/staff” sponsor before the semester begins and notify the Dean of Student Affairs.

The semester list of co-curricular offerings is released during the first week of classes and students may register for them through https://my.olin.edu.

On-line registration takes place during the evening hours. Information regarding the groups is available via your registration login.

(Registration will be open to cleared and eligible students only. A cleared student is one who has met with their adviser and has an updated learning plan. An eligible student is one who does not have an outstanding financial balance with the college.)

Can I be put on a waitlist?

Waitlists are often available on most courses. These are indicated in 'semester supplement and offerings list' published each semester and available when you register via my.olin.edu. If a course is in waitlist status, it will show in the Course Catalog/Search on MyStAR. We monitor enrollments on courses that have waitlists and will resolve them manually. At no time will a seat be open to someone not on the waitlist.

When is the Add Period – the Drop Period – the last day to withdraw from a course?

The Add period* is the first 10 class days of the semester. Add requests can be processed in person at the Registrar’s Office and on-line. Add/Drop forms can be found at.

The Drop period begins on the first day of classes and ends on the 45th instructional day (for ½ session deadlines see chart). During this time, students can alter their schedule as long as they remain in a minimum of 12 credits of degree activities. A “drop” is removed from the student schedule and does not appear on transcripts. Drops and withdrawals after the add period ends require a hard copy form and must be processed by the Registrar’s Office. There are no on-line drops after the add period ends. The last day to withdraw from a course is the last day of instruction.

*BBW drop deadlines may be earlier than Olin’s. When cross-registering, you abide by the rules and deadlines established by the host school. Read your confirmation email very carefully and save it for future reference.

Conversely, students wishing to participate in cross-registration will be allowed to alter their Olin schedule to accommodate cross-registration requests if the host school's add/drop period extends beyond Olin’s. This will be done in the Registrar’s Office once the confirmation of the cross-registered request is received. The reason for this is due to the variable times at which we can honor cross-registration requests depending on the host school’s registration times.

How do I cross-register to Babson, Brandeis or Wellesley?

All cross-registration requests begin in the cross-registration portlet in the Olin student portal. You may put in your request before the other school opens their cross-registration period. We will save it and transmit it at the proper time, but don’t forget to notify us if you change your mind! Instructions for cross-registering to Babson and Wellesley are on the BOW Cross-Registration website. Registration deadlines are on the BOW Academic Calendar and are also included (along with those for Brandeis) in Olin’s Supplement and Course Offerings List for each semester, found on the Semester Information & Registration FAQ page. For cross-registration to Brandeis, file a request through the portal, but be sure to read the instructions on the Brandeis website. You may need to get the instructor’s permission in advance.

You may elect to take a Wellesley course credit/noncredit by contacting the Wellesley Registrar’s Office before the deadline given in the email you receive from them when they confirm your enrollment. Babson and Brandeis do not offer a P/N election.

How do I drop a BBW course?

Deadlines vary by school and are spelled out in the email you receive when the other school confirms your enrollment. They may be much earlier than the Olin deadline! Add/drop/withdraw deadlines are also on the BOW Academic Calendar and are included (along with those for Brandeis) in Olin’s Supplement and Course Offerings List for each semester, found on the Semester Information & Registration FAQ page.

A course must be dropped with the Registrar’s Office of the host institution no later than their deadline and the Olin Registrar’s Office must also be informed. Dropping the course from your Olin schedule via my.olin.edu will not inform the host school and you will still be considered registered for the course. If you do not drop the course with the host school in a timely manner, you may end up with a “W” or an “F” on your transcript. If you have any questions regarding this process, please email registrar@olin.edu.

You will be notified by Wellesley if permission is necessary because of class restrictions or other reasons. Always begin the cross-registration process by filling out the form in the portal. Once classes have begun at Wellesley, it is best to ask the instructor to sign the card which you will then deliver to the Wellesley Registrar’s Office in person.

How do I Cross-Register to Olin College?

Olin welcomes students from Babson, Brandeis and Wellesley to register for Olin courses with the permission of the Olin faculty member. BBW students should send a request for a course through their Registrar’s Office to the Olin Registrar’s Office. Cross-registration request forms can be found at the home institution. Visit http://bow3colleges.org/bow-cross-registration for more information.

Cancellations

Note that all courses listed each semester are subject to cancellation due to insufficient enrollment.